Posts tagged ‘coal’

Climate Action Moreland, after discussion on our email list, has joined with over 40 NGOs at COP22 in Marrakech in a statement on Beyond coal: Scaling up clean energy to fight poverty.

Climate Action Moreland has campaigned for energy transition from coal to renewables in Victoria, but we think Australia’s export coal is also a huge problem, especially when it is justified on the grounds of reducing poverty.(more…)

The Andrews Government will increase coal royalties in the 2015/16 budget to approximately match the rate levied in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. This should be welcomed.

The rate will increase three fold from January 1st 2017 and is estimated to raise $252 million over the forward estimates over the next 4 years.

This will prove useful for helping to fund the health support for the LaTrobe Valley, as well as health and education expenditure for the state. $51.2 million was promised in the state budget to implement the recommendations of the Mine Fire Inquiry and improving health outcomes for the Valley.(more…)

A motion at the council meeting was debated and passed to send a letter to Premier Dan Andrews in support of the campaign.

The motion, passed 7 votes to 2, stated:

“That Council seeks to resolve to provide support for the Climate Action Moreland’s Build Renewable Energy – Replace Hazelwood Campaign by writing to the State Government to replace the Hazelwood power station with renewable energy.”

When the Minister for Environment, Greg Hunt, re-approved the Carmichael Coal Mega-Mine in the Galilee Basin Queensland, CAM members together with all manner of climate activist groups took to Hunt’s office in Hastings on October 16 to voice their outrage.

Two weeks later, on October 30, Direct Action Melbourne (DAM) made the point that coal mining of such magnitude is unconscionable and completely incompatible with protecting our ever more degraded ecology and food producing land, let alone with the embodied carbon emissions associated with a project of that size – 40km long open cut mine producing 60 million tonnes per year.

DAM members role-played fat-cat wealthy billionaires, coal miners, fishes of the reef. They locked-on in Hunt’s office for most of the day, triggering federal police attendance, and renamed Hunt Minister AGAINST the Environment and Minister for COAL.

The CAM stalls team have been out and about in the community highlighting the need to leave coal in the ground and to replace Hazelwood Power Station. The postcards target Jane Garret MLA as she is sitting in the marginal seat of Bruswick and the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. We’ve been out on Saturdays recently at the Coburg Farmer’s Market, CERES’ Organic Market and Coburg Mall. Our next post card event will be in a Lygon Street location.

Can you give a few hours to talk to community members about the need to get off coal and onto renewables, please get in touch with the CAM Stalls Team. Phone Bronwyn on 0409 420 929 or email bronip@bigpond.com

Can you help tell the Victorian government it’s time to close down Hazelwood, Australia’s dirtiest power station?

In conjunction with climate action groups in Yarra and Darebin, CAM has produced postcards to the premier and local MPs.

The cards read: “The Premier says he wants to be a leader on climate change action and renewable energy jobs. That means leaving coal in the ground, not issuing new exploration licences. It means closing Hazelwood, Australia’s dirtiest power station. Hazelwood is no longer required and is crowding out solar and wind investment. Please act now before it is too late.”

Can you help spread the word by letter-boxing your local area, putting the postcards in localshops and cafes, of helping at a street stall? Please email Mark Riley on markriley@netspace.net.au or ring 0432 030 211.

Climate Action Moreland are active in various events and protests such as this End of Coal parade last Thursday in Melbourne.

Melbourne climate activists staged an “End of Coal” parade on August 13. They were celebrating the Commonwealth Bank’s decision to cancel its involvement with Adani’s Galilee coal proposals. They called on all Australia’s Banks to stop investing in fossil fuels.

Dressed in party gear, singing anti-coal songs and performing theatrics, the activists visited the Commonwealth Bank to congratulate them on their decision. They then visited ANZ, NAB and Westpac branches across Melbourne’s CBD, urging them to follow in the Commonwealth Bank’s footsteps by ruling out involvement in Galilee coal. Many bank staff were rather bemused; others got a little cranky at having their banks occupied.

Horticulturalist and Climate Angel Bronwyn Plarre said: “Commonwealth Bank has responded to community action and ceased their relationship with Adani. It’s now time for all of Australia’s other Big Banks to end their relationship with all fossil fuels. We’re here today to deliver a message, on behalf of the community, calling for exactly that.”

Read the full story by Andrea Bunting in Greenleft Weekly. Photos (including the one above), from Climacts on Facebook